Pentax retro-homages the past with the new Optio i-10 camera

Combined with "deputy" Optio H90, the new Optio i10 leads the re-imagination of the Optio product line. It's a lot easier to explain the i-10 with a picture...

However, underneath the skin, this is a typical point and shoot digital camera. It has a 12mp 1/2.3" sensor (props to Pentax for not jumping to the 14mp 1/2.3" abomination). The lens is a 5X optical zoom (28-140mm eq), with actual sensor-shift image stabilization.

Other features include a 2.7-inch (230K), 30fps 720p video, SD/SDHC, D-LI92 lithium ion battery, and the usual assortment of face detection, buzz words du jour and things like that.

Assuming the Pentax Web Store specs are correct, it has manual focus (presumably menu-based as it is the case most of the time with compacts) so that much of the retroness is preserved in the specs :)

The camera is available for pre-order at Amazon for $300 in your choice of black or pearl-white. Release is estimated in the press release for February 2010.

The Serious Photographer disappointment?
With a camera so retro-looking, a number of photographers, even if they understand logically why this ain't so, they would have liked to see more photographer-priority features, such as RAW, manual exposure, and things of that nature. We can hope that Pentax will have something like that at/by PMA, but considering the history of Optios, don't hold your breath :(

Further Reading
+ Imaging Resource
+ Imaging Insider
+ Photoscala

Update (February 2010)
According to Pentax Japan, the initial monthly production output for this model is 50,000 units per month. Not bad!